Locks



June 17, 1958 H. 'r. BACKHOUSE 2,838,925

' LOCKS Filed Nov. 22, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 17, 1958 H. T. BACKHOUSE 2,838,925

LOCKS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 22, 1955 Q4, rlqa/ )4 amen s June 17, 1958 H. T. BACKHOUSE LOCKS- Filed NOV. 22, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 ZYW, Q24,

June 17, 1958 H, T. BACKHOUSE 2,838,925

LOCKS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Nov. 22, 1955 United States Patent LOCKS Headley Townsend Backhouse, Fort Charlotte Heights,

Nassau, British West Indies Application November 22, 1955, Serial No. 548,490

6 Claims. (Cl. 70-150) The invention relates to locks and especially, but not exclusively, to looks for doors. The invention is concerned with locks of the kind embodying a bolt (e. g. a chamfered latch bolt) slidable with respect to a casing between a locking position in which it projects from the casing and an unlocking position in which it is withdrawn, at least partly, into the casing and an arm rotatable within .the casing by means of an external handle, in one direction from a neutral position to withdraw the bolt into the unlocking position and in the other direction to a position (later referred to as the holding position) in which it acts as a positive stop in the path of the bolt to hold the bolt in the locking position.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a lock.

of the above kind in which the arm may be manually operated to the holding position but requires to be released by operation of a key before it can .be returned to the neutral position. With such a lock the operator has the option of latching the door or, by simple movement of the handle, of positively locking the door in a manner which requires the use of a key for unlocking. The invention provides .a lock of the above kind having an internal catch which is automatically engageable (e. g.

by spring means) with the locking arm when the arm is moved into the holding position thereby to retain the arm in that position, a removable key being required to efiect disengagement of the catch from the arm.

Preferably the arm is spring urged tothe unlocking position so that it will automatically return to that position when released from the catch. I

It is further preferred that the handle is shaped or prominently marked to give visible indications of when the arm is in the holding or neutral positions.

In one form of the invention the catch is a hooked lever arranged to engage and to retain within the hook a projection on the locking arm. There may be included cam or equivalent means rotatable by the key for effecting rotation of the lever to the disengaging position.

The lock may be provided with handles and operating arms at both sides. When so provided only one of the arms will normally have a catch as above described. When the lock is so provided the bolt may be withdrawn to the unlocking position from either side of the door unless the handle which is associated with the catch has been moved to the holding position in which case the door can only be opened by means of a key.

The lock may include a slide which is operable at the end face of the lock casing to engage an abutment on the bolt and to hold the bolt in the withdrawn position.

' The lock may have a single locking arm and operating handles for the arm on both sides of the casing so that' the arm may be moved to the holding position, where it is engaged by the catch, from either side and means may be provided at both sides whereby the catch may be released.

.With the arrangement just described it is preferable that the catch releasing means at one side of the lock are key- 2,838,925 Patented June 17, 1958 operated as referred to above and at the other side of the lock are operable by a handle which is normally retained in the lock. With this arrangement the arm may be moved to the holding position from either side of the lock and may be released from either side, the release from one side (e. g. the outside of a house door) requiring a key whereas the release from the other side (e. g. the inside of a house door) does not require a key.

In some circumstances it may be found desirable to embody in the lock means for avoiding automatic retention of the arm in the holding positionrequiring operation of a key to effect release-in cases where the movement of the arm is inadvertent.

For use in such circumstances the lock may have means operable at will to prevent engagement of the catch with the arm either by preventing movement of the arm to the holding position or by holding the catch out of the engaging position.

In a preferred construction of this form of the invention the means aforesaid comprise an abutment which is movable into the path of the catch to hold the catch against movement out of the arm-engaging position whereby the catch is caused to act as a stop preventing movement of the arm to the holding position. The abutment may be arranged for movement into and out of the path of the catch by means of a key (e. g. the key aforesaid employed to effect disengagement of the catch from the arm). .The abutment may'also be operable to hold the catch in engagement with the arm, when so engaged, and

so to provide double locking means for the arm.

In an alternative arrangement the abutment ismovable into and out of the path of the catch by means accessible only at the edge of the door (i. e. when the doorjis open). a

Some specific embodiments of locks according to the invention will now be described, by wayof example of how the invention may be carried into effect, with reference .to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a view of one embodiment showingthe parts in the latched, unlocked position, a, side cover for the lock casing being omitted,

Figure 2 is a view corresponding to Figure 1 showing the parts in the unlatched, bolt withdrawn, position,v

Figure 3 is a similar view showing the parts inthe locked position,

Figure 4 is a view of a second embodiment showing, in full lines, the parts in the latched, unlocked position, a side cover for the lock casing being omitted,

Figure 5 is a section substantially on the line 55- in Figure 4, t

Figure 6 is a view, similar to Figure 4 but showing the parts in the locked position, H Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 4 showing a modified form of the lock,

Figure 8 is a section on the line 8--8 in Figure 7, and

Figure 9 is a front view of the lock shown in Figures 7-8.

The lock forming the subject of the first example shown in Figures 13 is a slam lock intended for a doorf'Tlie lock is of the mortice type and has an appropriately formed casing 20. p p I There is a slide.21 in the casing carrying a bolt 22 which, when in locking position, protrudes from the easing for engagement in a keeper on the door frame. The

slide has two abutment surfaces, 24, 25 of which the surface 24 (later referred to as the withdrawal surface) faces in the direction of outward locking movement of the slide and the other surface, 25 (later referred to. as the locking surface), faces in the direction of inward .unlocking movement of the slide.

' withdraw the bolt to the unlocking position.

The lock has two locking arms independently rotatable respectively by handles on opposite sides of the door. One arm, 27, engages the withdrawal surface 24 only and is operable on anti-clockwise rotation by its handle to p A stop 29 prevents this arm being moved to engage the locking surface 25. The other arm, 28, is movable, by its handle, from a neutral position (Figure l) in which it contacts the withdrawal surface 24 with the bolt extended, in one direction (anti-clockwise as drawn) to withdraw the bolt to the. unlatching position (Figure 2) and in the other direction to a holding position (Figure 3) in which it acts as a strut in the path of the locking surface 25. A torsion spring 3t) surrounding the pivotal axis of the arm 28 acts thereon to tend to return the arm to the neutral position from the holding position. There is a radial notch 32 in the free endof the arm 28. Pivoted within the casing beneath the arm 28 there is an upwardly sloping catch lever 34 which has at its upper end a hook 35 (like a crochet hook) engagea'ble in the notch 32 when the arm 28 is in the holding position (see Figure 3) to act as a catch holding the arm in that position. The arm and the hook are shaped to provide an automatic latching connection as the arm is moved to the holding position. A spring 38 urges the lever 34 to rotate in the direction to engage in the notch, movement in this direction being limited by an adjustable stop rod 39. At the other end the lever 34 turns downwardly and is engageable by a rotatable cam 40 which serves to rock the lever to disengage the hook 35 from the notch 32. This cam is operable from outside the lock by a removable key which may be of simple form (e. g. of square section fitting in a socket of corresponding section in the cam) or it may act through a cylinder lock to rotate the cam.

The handle 42 associated with the locking arm 28 is of elongated form and is arranged to rotate through 90 between the neutral and holding positions. It is therefore easy to determine by visual observation of the position of the handle whether the door is simply latched or is positively locked. In this specific example the handle is of T-form, the leg of the T forming part of the operating shank.

Inside the front of the casing 20 there is a slide 45 guided for up and down movement and having a finger piece 46 accessible at the front of the casing (i. e. at the edge of the door). When the bolt is withdrawn to the unlocking position (Figure 2) the slide 45 may be moved upwardly into the path of an abutment surface 48 on the bolt slide 21 and so to prevent the bolt returning to the locking position. Downward movement of the slide 45 releases the bolt. A spring pressed plunger 49 provides frictional resistance to movement of the slide 45. Alternatively the slide 45 may be arranged to be held in the upper position by pressure from the bolt and fall by gravity to the lower position when this pressure is relieved by operation of either handle slightly to withdraw the bolt;

In the example shown in Figures 4 to 6 the two locking arms 27, 28 in the lock described above are replaced by a single arm 50 carried on a square spindle 51 to which are secured two handles 52, 53, one for each side of the door, and both operable to rotate the spindle to move the arm in one direction (anti-clockwise as viewed in Figure 4) from the neutral position to the unlatching position and in the other direction to the holding position (Figure 6).

Secured within the inner bottom corner of the lock casing 54 there is a square block 55 with a central screwthreaded hole 56 within which is received the outer casing of a cylinder lock 57. The rotatable lock cylinder has the usual projecting driving tongue which makes driving engagement in a slot 58 in a forked cam 60 of which the mouth faces radially outwardly. The lower end 61 of a hooked catch lever 62 (similar to lever 34 described above) is held in engagement with an external side of the cam 60 by a coil spring 63 around the pivotal axis of the lever 62. The arrangement is that anti-clockwise rotation of the cylinder by its key causes the cam 60 to rock the lever 62 to disengage the latching connection with the arm. The key may be engaged with the cylinder from one side of the casing. At the other side of the casing there is a small handle 64 which is operable, independently of the cylinder lock, to rock the lever to disengage the latching connection. This handle operates to rotate a second cam 65 which effects the rocking movements of lever, the cam having two generally radial arms of which one, 65a, engages the lever and the other 65b is engageable with a stop 66 to limit movement of the arm 65a away from the lever.

Pivoted adjacent to the hooked catch lever 62 there is a locking lever '70 of which one end is received within the fork of the cam 69 and the other end is, as shown in chain lines in Figure 4, engageable under a stop 71 on the catch lever 62 when the latter is in its latching position and when so engaged positively holds the catch lever in that position. Rotation of the cam 60 in the clockwise direction by means of key operation of the barrel lock rocks the locking lever into the position (shown in chain lines in Figure 4) for engagement with the stop and return movement of the cam disengages the locking lever from the stop. Spring detent means are provided for holding the locking lever in its two positions, these means consisting of a ball 72 spring-urged laterally into one or other of two recesses '73 in the side of the casing.

The cam 65 has no efiect on the locking lever but may be used to move the catch lever 62 to free the locking arm 50.

Each of the main external handles 52, 53 and the small handle 64 aforesaid is of elongated form to provide a visual indication of the state of the lock. In this connection it is a feature of the lock that it includes spring means 72 which tend to maintain the locking arm 50 against the withdrawal face 24 of the bolt slide except when the arm is positively held latched in the holding position.

In use, rotation of either main handle 52, 53 in one direction from the neutral position will withdraw the bolt assuming the locking arm 50 is free, and in the other direction will move the locking arm towards the holding position. If the locking lever 70 is in its disengaged position (as shown in full lines in Figure 4), then the locking arm 50 may be moved fully to the holding position (Figure 6) where it will make latching engagement with the catch lever and be held thereby until released by means of the key or operation of the small handle. If the locking lever 70 is in its engaged position (as shown in chain lines in Figure 4), it will prevent the movement of the catch lever 62 necessary for the latching engagement and such engagement will be prevented. Nevertheless, as shown in chain lines in Figure 4, the locking arm 50 may be rotated sufficiently far to prevent withdrawal of the bolt. If, when the catch lever 62 and locking arm 50 are in latching engagement (Figure 6), the locking lever 70 is moved by the key lock and cam 60 to engage under the stop 71 (i. e. to the chain line position of Figure 4), then the locking arm 50 cannot be released without the use of the key. The forked cam '69 has suflicient lost motion in the fork relative to lever 70 to enable the lock cylinder to be returned to the key removing position.

In order to facilitate insertion of the key lock during assembly, the locking lever 70 may be rotated clockwise beyond its normal disengaged position and to etiect return to that position the slide 45, described above, has an abutment 75 which is engageable with the locking lever during upward movement of the slide.

In the example shown in Figures 7 to 9, the arrangement is similar to that just described except that the locking lever 70 is omitted and replaced by a locking device which will now be described. Further the forked cam t i 60 is replaced by a cam having a single arm 80 operable bythe key lock simply to rotate the catch lever 62 from its latching position.

The locking device consists of a rod 82 which is guided by a stem 83 within a block 84 attached to the front of the casing for up and down as well as rotational movement. Extending diametrically through the rod 82 and protruding from each side thereof-there is a locking pin 85. One end, 85a, of this pin is received within an L-shaped slot 86 in the front of the casing (i. e. is accessible only at the edge of the door) and the other end may serve as 'a stop to lie in the path of the catch lever 62. The slot has one limb vertical and the other horizontal and when the end 85a of the pin is within the horizontal limb the other end lies in the path of the catch lever and so looks it in the latching position. When the end 85a of the pin is anywhere in the vertical limb, the pin is rotated out of the path of the catch lever as" seen in Figure 9. The rod also serves when moved up the vertical limb of the slot as the equivalent of the locking slide 45 above described.

I When the lock is to be used as a rim look (i. e. attached to the inside face of the door) the barrel lock may be arranged to protrude from the main lock casing (e. g. be attached to the face thereof) through the door thickness and a flanged ferrule or rose may be screwed onto the outside of the barrel lock to engage, with the flange, the opposite face of the door and so to provide some measure of adjustment for doors of different thicknesses.

It is within the invention to construct the cam 65 operated by the small handle 64 to have the same configuration and operation as the forked cam 62 operable by the keylock.

Further it is within the invention to omit the locking lever 70, or the rod 82, from the constructions shown in Figures 4 to 9 thereby to provide a lock in which the locking arm 50 may be moved into engagement with the catch lever 62 from either side of the door and means are provided at both sides whereby the catch may be released, the means at one side (e. g. the outside of a house door) requiring a key whereas release from the other side (e. g. the inside of a house door) does not require a key.

I claim:

1. A look comprising a casing, a bolt slidable along a path within the casing between a locking position in which a part of the bolt projects from the casingand an unlocking position in which the said part is withdrawn at least partly into the casing, an arm supported for rotation within the casing and having means for connection to an external handle for effecting such rotation, the arm being rotatable in one direction from a neutral position to engage and Withdraw the bolt into the unlocking position and in the other direction to a holding position in which it lies as a strut in the path of the bolt and acts as a positive stop to hold the bolt in the looking position, a catch within the casing engageable with the locking arm when the arm is moved into the holding position and operable by such engagement to retain the arm in that position, the catch being releasable from the arm by means of a removable key and spring means urging the catch into engagement with the arm as aforesaid.

2. A lock as claimed in claim 1 and having manually operable means for preventing engagement of the catch with the arm comprising an abutment movable to hold the catch in its arm-engaging position whereby the catch is caused to act as a stop preventing movement of the arm to its catch-engaging position.

3. A lock as claimed in claim 2 in which the abutment is also operable to hold the catch in engagement with the arm, when so engaged, and thereby to provide double locking means for the arm.

4. A lock as claimed in claim 2 constructed for key operation of the abutment.

5. A lock as claimed in claim 2 having means accessible only at the end face of the lock casing for moving the abutment as aforesaid.

6. A lock as claimed in claim 2 in which the catch, when held as aforesaid, permits movement of the arm to an intermediate position in which it acts as a positive stop in the path of the bolt to hold the bolt in the locking position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 192,988 Haptonstall July 10, 1877 413,333 Young Oct. 22, 1889 476,663 Lowrey June 7, 1892 1,154,454 Stricklan Sept. 21, 1915 1,879,350 Leeb Sept. 27, 1932 2,630,005 Raivetz Mar. 3, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 87,925 Austria Apr. 10, 1922 

